Chennai: Chennai is the medical capital and with the mushrooming of new smart phone applications for healthcare, government doctors and general physicians are now witnessing an increase in self-medications by members of the public particularly the young crowd. Though the doctors are yet to figure out the percentage increase in self-medication, but confirm that the practice of self-medication is surging due to digital intervention.
Admitting that the self-medication has surged in the recent past due to mobile phone apps and a quick Google search looking out for medical remedies, dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital Dr Narayana Babu warned long term side effects for those taking self-medications.
The public has to understand that mobile phone apps cannot diagnose a disease and cannot replace doctors to help cure them. Doctors say that the use of mobile applications can help to control minor health issues, but can be dangerous or misleading as there is no intervention of a physician.
“Health applications have become very popular for diet control among youngsters, as they are cost-effective and easily accessible, but self-medication can lead to ill-effects such as side-effects of a particular drug, wrong exercise, pain and internal injuries in minor cases and death can be a major consequence,” says Dharani Krishnan, a senior consultant dietician.
Medicos also warn that these devices are mostly untested and unscientific lacking accountability thus, they can lead to extreme anxiety and medical harm through over diagnosis of health conditions.
Dr Shanti, a member of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, says, “Doctors gather years of expertise in a particular stream, which cannot be replaced by a mobile application. Self-medication is never advisable in the medical field. But expert advice cannot be substituted by any such technological advancement”.
